Aunt Jane was smiling to herself. "'Most seems as if it would have been a better way to have men folks marry men folks—" She looked at him shrewdly. "They'd get along more comfortable?"
He shook his head and laughed. "I want Edith just the way she is. But I wish——"
"Yes—we all do." Aunt Jane nodded. "We like what we've got—pretty well. But we're always wishing it was a little mite different some way.... I like my work here; and I do it about as well as I know how. But some days I wish—" She broke off and sat looking before her.
The young man's face regarded her attentively. He leaned forward. "I'm taking too much of your time. I didn't think how busy you must be. I'll go now. And thank you for letting me talk." He stood up.
Aunt Jane reached out a hand.
"Sit down, Mr. Dalton. That's what my time is for—to talk about things.... What was it you said you wished?"
He sat down. "I'd like to tell you—if you really have time.... And it won't take so long—" He was looking at it thoughtfully. "You see, I've never made good, because I've never stayed long in one place. That is what frets Edith—what she can't understand."
"It's hard for a woman—always changing round," said Aunt Jane. "Hard on the furniture."
He smiled. "We haven't changed house so many times. It's been mostly in the city here. But each time I've had to start all over.... After we were married, I went in with Clark & Lyman; that's Edith's father—George B. Lyman; and I thought I was fixed for life. And it wasn't six months before I had to move on."
"I suppose you'd done something they didn't like," commented Aunt Jane.